Getting Ready To Get Back In The Saddle

A shortened version of the Annual Williams Lake Stampede will be going ahead this fall.

September 5th and 6th the Williams Lake Stampede Association be holding a two-day Bull Riders Canada event at the stampede grounds.

Past President Tim Rolph said the decision to hold it came after the Government announced that outdoor venues could be 5-thousand people or fifty percent of the capacity whichever is greater.

“We’ve had it in the back of our mind for a while that if things opened up we’d try to do something and we kinda thought we had to get it done before the middle of September because of weather.” Rolph said, “The government surprised us and opened up a little bit sooner than what they thought they were going to. Originally they had said nothing until after September 7^th and then on July first they announced that outdoor venues could be five thousand people or fifty percent of your capacity, whichever is greater, so that fits for us with our capacity.

Rolph added they will be some changes as to how it will be done.

“We’ve been in contact with the Ministry of Health. We have a communicable disease plan that we have to prepare and be ready for. One of the reasons we’re going strictly online with tickets is contact tracing. They want to know that we have a way of knowing everybody that bought a ticket and by online we have a record of who bought that ticket.”

Rolph noted for those who are a little intimidated by going online and buying tickets, we’re going to open for a couple of part-days prior to the event, we don’t know those days yet but we’ll let the people know, and you can come down to the office and the girls will help you purchase your ticket online and make sure you have everything.

The Back in the Saddle Bull Riders event will also feature a Wildhorse race, Ladies dash for cash flat race, and a grandstand on the sunday night.

-With files from Pat Matthews, mycariboonow.com